Let's see which state has the dumbest law pertaining to hunters... My vote for Wyoming is the one where non-residents are required to hire a guide if they want to hunt in a wilderness area. It's perfectly fine if they want to pack for miles into a wilderness area in the middle of the winter to fish for brook trout or just to camp, but if they want to shoot an elk they have to have a guide...

Disclaimer: I have nothing against game laws and always try to abide by them. I just thought this would be interesting.

I always thought the no hunting on Sundays laws were the most stupid.

We've got at least one stupid law in BC..It's perfectly legal for you to hunt deer with a rifle with a magazine that holds 200 rounds, but if you want ot hutn deer with a shotgun, you can only have 3 rounds...

They never thought to add a disclaimer when they came up with the waterfowl regs, I guess!

I have to agree with the no hunting on sundays laws.

In some counties in New York State, it is illegal to hunt deer with a rifle, but it is perfectly legal to hunt deer with a pistol in any centerfire caliber, including pistols like T/C Encores that are chambered for rifle cartridges...

In Pennsylvania, it is illegal to hunt ANYTHING with a semiautomatic rifle or pistol...That applies to all game including varmints...Not only can't a deer hunter use a BAR or a Rem 7400 for deer, but a small game hunter can't use a Colt Woodsman for coon hunting or a Ruger 10/22 for squirrels, rabbits or woodchucks..

I also think the outfitter requirement in the wilderness is bunk. No hunting on Sunday??? Remind me not to live in those places.

I think having to plug your shotgun is bogus. I think there would be a lot less crippled/steel carrying geese if a guy was allowed to pack that magazine full. If a guy can shoot, he doesn't need all three. If a guy can't, three plus a few extra isn't going to matter anyhow.

MG

I think hunting turkeys with small centerfire rifles should be allowed in Georgia. You can take one with a muzzleloader or shotgun. We have so many, I have seen flocks of approx.200 birds. Also I think shooting hens should be allowed for population control. Turkeys are considered big game in Ga. and a biggame liscense is required.

Count another vote for no hunting on Sunday. My brother lives in Pennsylvania, and I love to hunt there, but no hunting on Sunday? This law dates back to colonial times, it really should be updated.

DGK

Pretty much any law enacted by the public via a ballot referendum regarding hunting, wildlife management, method of take (traps, hounds), etc. is a dumb law.

........Or you could come to the UK, where your ammuntion purchases are entered on your firearms certificate.

OK - but if you then wish to reload your ammo - try not to look amazed as the gundealer enters the amount of purchased heads on your certificate, right alongside rifles.

Did I mention that this ensures similar security requirements needed for both rifle AND soft point bullet heads? HOWEVER, buy as many fmj heads as you can use - there are no restrictions on purchase of this or any of the other components needed to assemble ammunition!!!

Go figure!

Rgds Ian

another vote for no hunting on sunday. you can play golf and skip church all you want but no hunting. if your not following your faith as a way of life, setting aside sunday ain't helping.

Hunting on Sundays has got to be one of the most archaic nonsense hunting laws on the books.



As for Wyoming requiring you to hire a Licensed Guide is not true!



43Deer and Madgoat , you as a residents of Wyoming should know this.

A Non-Resident can have a Resident to act as a "Companion" while hunting in wilderness areas. As stated below, taken from the Wyoming G&F web site;



"Wyoming statute says nonresidents must have a licensed guide or resident companion to hunt big or trophy game in national forest wilderness areas. The resident companion will need to get a free non-commercial guide license from a G&F office. The law does not prohibit nonresidents from hiking, fishing or hunting game birds or coyotes in wilderness areas. Only nonresident big and trophy game hunters must have a licensed guide or resident companion."

Yea, I did know that. My point is, there are some nonresidents that can pack/hike/hunt with the best of them. What is the point then making them have to get some sort of "guide", whether that be an outfitter or a resident companion?? The law was made by outfitters so outfitters will make a pretty penny guiding non-residents.
You can have a guy who has grown up hunting/fishing/packing into the Thorofare all his life, he loses his residency and all of a sudden he needs some guy to accompany him into the woods? I would put a lot more trust into that guy than hire some of these fly by night BS "so called" guide/outfitter services.
I guess our wires got crossed, this is the angle I was coming from.

MG

Mule, Yes, I knew that too, and should have left out the "pay" part. So the law lets someone who knows someone in Wyoming hunt without "paying" an outfitter as long as they are friends of a resident. That is still stupid, and represents the true redneck attitude of our legislature.

How scary it is to read what the fellow from the UK had to say about their laws. That is the lifestyle that Al Gore (or as Rush says...Algore) would loved to have seen here.

In Illinois, it is legal to hunt deer with a 4" derringer in .30 Carbine, but it is illegal to hunt deer with a 3.9" revolver in .44 Magnum. Makes you feel sorry for the deer.

Another vote against the no hunting on Suday. That is industrial strength dumb. Also, the required guide deal in any state is horse pucky, particularly since it applies to pubilcly owned land (that's me). A very bad NOT law in some states, including the one I now reside in, is not requiring orange for big game hunting. Tags set aside for outfitters, in any state, is pure crap!

Fellows:



As an attorney who has had a little bit of experience with legislation, and who has gone to a few hearings, the Answer to you very legitimate complaints is plain and simple.



The answer is that Sportsmen and Sportswomen become complacent about their rights. They do not take the time to go to legislative hearings, or to write to their respective congressmen/congresswomen about their concerns. They do not form into groups that collect money to support elections of people who have experience in the outdoors.



As such, these game laws get changed by people who do show up at these legislative hearings. Those that do show up are many times people who are actually against hunting and fishing, landowners who have complaints about trespassing, antigun/antitrap people, and yes, People who have a financial interest in the hunting sports such as big game guides and outfitters.



I have driven right by your fine Capitol building there in

Cheyenne. You folks in Wyoming need to do the same. You have to get down there and show interest in these issues, bug the hell out of your legislators, and get nonresident groups to send money for political orgainizations that promote fair game and fish laws. You may even have to hire lobbyists to do some work for you while the legislature is in session.



That is how things get done.



Blue

I'd have to agree with you that much of the hunting public has become complacent. Right now, we've got some great opportunities to hunt and fish, but there are a lot of people out there who would like to see that change. They're well-funded and well organized and most of them don't have a clue about what's really best for wildlife. If we want our hunting heritage to be passed on to future generations, we've got to pay attention to wildlife issues and stay involved in the political process. It's too bad so many legislative decisions regarding wildlife are based on political agendas instead of common sense and sound science.

The county by county restrictions in VA and MD regarding the use of ceterfire rifles for deer may make sense in some built up areas, but in some cases...? With the absolute plague of whitetail deer around here some counties that are lightly settled are shotgun only. I've watched huge herds of deer graze in broad daylight 150 yards out in soybean fields that stretch for 500-1000 yrds. I'd hate to be farming that land. Virginia's Buckingham county, one of the state's least settled, is shotgun only for deer, but centerfire rifles of any caliber are legal for varmints. D'oh!